Readers may recall that Kate has long been involved with Scouting, below we show her when she was a Brownie.

This is not one of Kate’s Patronages, she is a volunteer. The Queen is actually Royal Patron, and HM’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, serves as President of the UK Scouting Association. Some readers may have seen news this week that the Duke suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized since Monday. It is said to be a ‘mild stroke’ and the Duke’s prognosis very good.

But Kate doesn’t need to be Patron to volunteer, far from it, she has been helping out privately for months. More via this Daily Mail story:

“Simon Carter, assistant director of The Scout Association, said: ‘The Duchess works with eight to 10-year-olds, she’s learned how to do stuff when she goes to cubs on Wednesday evenings.

“…last year when the Duchess committed to her charity work she didn’t want to be just a figurehead, she wanted to do something meaningful. She’s passionate about volunteering.”

Kate, who is naturally sporty, enjoys the outdoor life and has enthused about her role supervising Cubs aged 8 to 10 in Anglesey.

Last July she hosted a barbecue for her local pack near her farmhouse in Anglesey, flipping burgers and teaching the children how to gut fish.

Here we see Kate and other adult volunteers relaxing for a moment before getting to work.

Martyn Milner/UK Scouting

Everyone was bundled up warmly, below we see Kate working with Beaver Scouts and Cub Scouts on fire lighting techniques.

Martyn Milner/UK Scouting

After the fire training it was time to make “dampers” or “twists,” essentially unleavened bread cooked over an open fire on a stick. In this photo from Hannah Upton of the Westmorland Gazette we see the dough making about to commence.

Kate discarded her fingerless gloves and mixed in sticky flour while still wearing her priceless engagement ring before making twists in the snow.

“Oh, that’s brilliant,” said a fellow volunteer, as the Duchess giggled while wrestling with the bread and laughing at others’ attempts. “Would you like to try it?” She asked one instructor. “You are more than welcome to try mine,” she told another.

When they didn’t take her up on the offer, she tried the bread herself. “Oh, it’s actually not bad, if you were really desperately hungry. It’s quite sugary,” she said, laughing.

Martyn Milner/UK Scouting

Speaking from experience I can assure you that part of the challenge in making this delicacy is keeping the dough on the stick and out of the fire. (At least it always was for yours truly.)

Rhiannon Clifford-Powell, aged 10, was one of the Scouts lucky enough to meet the Duchess.

She said: “I was really excited when I found out Kate was coming and I was bursting to tell everyone but I had to keep it a secret.

“I did not know what to expect but she was really nice and friendly.”

After a lunch break it was time to move to other activities.

Stephanie Manley, Westmorland Gazette Twitter

Helping young Scouts learn to climb some of the many (and very tall) coniferous trees at the Camp was a challenge in the snowy, windy weather. The Duchess stayed firmly on the ground for this exercise.

Kate’s high-profile association with the Scouts has proved beneficial in boosting the ranks of adult volunteers but more help is needed. The Mirror’s Victoria Murphy, offers this information in her story, quoting Assistant Scouting Director Simon Carter:

We currently have 35,000 young people across the UK who can’t join up because we don’t have enough adult volunteer leaders. The reason we value the Duchess’s support is that even though she is very busy she helps out when she can.

We want to say to people you don’t have to come every week, come when you can and we will make a job round you.”

Mid-afternoon the Scouts and Volunteers gathered for one big photo.

UK Scouting

Kate wore many familiar pieces today, as well as some we haven’t previously seen. Readers will recognize her Le Chameau Vierzonord wellies.

Two items we hadn’t seen previously, Kate’s hat and fingerless gloves.

Martyn Milner/UK Scouting

UPDATED 4.19.13

The gloves remain unidentified, while Really Wild Clothing Company has verified the hat is their Lindsey style. We show it in the company’s ‘Ivy Dogtooth Tweed’ fabric, and it will be restocked at some point. Kate’s was ‘Tweed Moss Fleck’ and it will not be restocked.

Really Wild Clothing Company UK

Many refer to this as a Baker Boy style, similar to a newsboy style cap but with more volume above the crown. It is rather difficult to see the cap under the snow and ice, the gloves do show up a little better in this photo.

It is for adult volunteers, selling at £8.50, roughly $13 at today’s exchange rates. The Scouts remind us all proceeds from sales of items like this scarf go right back into Scouting programs, obviously a good cause.

It is always a delight to see people relishing the task at hand regardless of their surroundings or inclement conditions; this seemed the case with Kate, the Scouts and volunteers. Our thanks to Simon Carter with UK Scouting and others for sharing information and photos today.